


Disappear

by orphan_account



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Birthday, Crutchie-centric, Hurt/Comfort, Implied JackCrutchie, Newsies - Freeform, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 07:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12228126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When he entered the room that normally housed all the Newsies at night, Crutchie was shocked to see that none of his colleagues, his best friends, were in the room. Race wasn’t on his bed smoking a cigar, Romeo going through yesterday’s paper for pictures of pretty girls, no one was to be seen.





	Disappear

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y'all! Thanks for logging into my story! Please leave a review and tell me what I can do better

Crutchie blinked his eyes as he yawned softly, stretching as awoke. He was obviously on the roof as he felt a soft breeze ruffle his hair. He looked around to talk to Jack but stopped himself when he noticed Jack wasn’t there.

“Where is he?” Crutchie whispered to himself. “What time is it?”

Crutchie was used to walking up in the outdoors and he knew by the sky whether it was late or early and he knew it was early enough that the circulation bell had not rang yet. 

‘Maybe he’s down with the fellas.’ Crutchie thought, grabbing his crutch and sticking it under his arm. He made his way over to the staircase and stumbled down. 

When he entered the room that normally housed all the Newsies at night, Crutchie was shocked to see that none of his colleagues, his best friends, were in the room. Race wasn’t on his bed smoking a cigar, Romeo going through yesterday’s paper for pictures of pretty girls, no one was to be seen.

Crutchie begun doubting himself then. Surely he was wrong and the circulation bell had rung? No, one of the boys surely would have woken him up.

Crutchie decided to head outside and try and see where in the world those fellas were. He spotted a lady with a parasol and he limped over to her, checking himself in a shop window to make sure he looked presentable. 

“Excuse me ma'am?” Crutchie started. The lady jumped and looked a little perturbed. “Do you happen to know what time it is?”

“It’s about half seven. A little early for an urchin to be begging, no?”

Crutchie looked away, an embarrassed blush spreading across his freckled cheeks. “Sorry Ma'am. Thank you Ma'am.” And with that he walked away, shaking his head. Where were the boys? It was no ones birthday today, nor was it a special holiday. 

Crutchie kept walking until he ended up outside Medda’s theatre. As his leg was getting a bit sore, he decided to enter. Besides, maybe Jack was in there. 

“Hallo Darling, how are you doing this fine Tuesday?” Medda came up to the crippled boy, kissing his cheek lightly. 

“I’m okay Medda. How are you?” Crutchie grinned.

“I’m just fine. Now what brings you here to my theatre? I would’ve thought you would be out selling by now. Those Delanceys haven’t been terrorising you again, have they sweetheart?”

“No Miss Medda. I just can’t find the fellas anywhere.” 

“I haven’t seen them sugar.” Medda said, smirking slightly. Crutchie looked at her doubtingly. He knew he would trust Miss Medda with his life but at the same time, that smirk of hers showed she was up to something. 

Albeit reluctantly, Crutchie hugged Medda goodbye and left the theatre. He limped away as he mulled over all the events that had taken place. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t even notice the Delanceys in front of him. 

“What’s up with you and your boys Crip?” Morris sneered. “You and your boys on strike again? Do you not remember what happened to you last time?”

“Yeah I do remember.” Crutchie said indignantly. “We won. Beat you boys. Anyway, we’re not on strike Morris so why don’t you and Oscar just leave me alone.”

Oscar went to push Crutchie but Morris’ hand stopped him from going forward.  
“Stop Oscar. The crips on his own on the street without Kelly or Higgins. He won’t last long.” And with that the Delanceys sulk away, leaving Crutchie alone once again.

Crutchie walks for a while longer, eyes filling with tears as the feeling of loneliness he has despised ever since his parents left him on the streets. The feeling of loneliness disappeared when a certain Jack Kelly found him behind a trash can, shaking with the chill in the air and a fever. Now the feeling was back again, stronger then ever before as now he had so much more to lose. 

Crutchie found himself in a park and slumped up against a tree, wheezing as panic flooded through his chest. A panic attack had started. Tears streaked down his cheeks as he tried to calm himself. 

Finally, he was calm enough to make his way back to the lodging house. He stood outside the door for a moment, taking a deep breath and psyching himself up to enter the normally jovial lodging house and seeing it cold and empty.

He opened the door and was shocked when a call of “Surprise!” reached his ears. He looked around the room and saw all the fellas, Medda and Katherine in the room. Jack and Race walked up to Crutchie and enveloped him in a hug.  
Race handed him a present wrapped in yesterdays newspaper while Jack handed him a handmade card, a painted picture of Crutchie in the middle of the Newsies on the front. 

“But I’m not seventeen for another month.” Crutchie said, confusion evident on his face. The boys laugh and Jack patted Crutchie on the back, pulling him close to him.

“Crutch, it’s your 10 year anniversary of being a Newsie!” Race exclaimed and all the boys cheered.

“10 years? Really?” Crutchie scratched his head. Had it really been that long?

“10 years to the day I found you behind a trash can Crutch.” Jack said, ruffling his honorary little brother’s hair.

“And we’re so glad he did sugar.” Medda said, blowing a kiss to the boy.

“I can’t believe you kept this a secret Miss Medda!” Crutchie said, raising an eyebrow.

“Well now it wouldn’t have been a surprise if I had told you, now would it?”  
Crutchie laughed and looked at all the boys around him. “I really have the best friends in the world.” He admitted.

“No Crutchie, you don’t.” Romeo said. “We do. Cause we'se got you


End file.
